South Plains rural communities get short delay in USPS closing decisions

Friday

Dec 30, 2011 at 8:50 PM

Adam D. Young

Residents in more than one dozen South Plains hamlets can breathe a sigh of relief after the United States Postal Service gave their communities a reprieve - at least until May.

The U.S. Postal Service, at the request of U.S. Senate leaders, earlier this month agreed to delay the closing or consolidation of any post office or mail processing facilities until May 15 following a summer and fall where Postal Service officials considered putting as many as 3,700 facilities on the chopping block, according to a Postal Service news release.

The Postal Service warned its struggling revenues and increased health care costs force it to consider a variety of options ranging from closing or consolidating facilities, replacing brick-and-mortar offices with cluster boxes serviced by rural carriers or converting post offices into privately operated Village Post Offices.

The Postal Service revealed 14 of the post offices in consideration were in rural, mostly unincorporated South Plains communities, including Whitharral, where Ed Sharp, Whitharral Independent School District superintendent, said he was hopeful the delayed decision is a good sign.

"I think people feel like their chances are better knowing that a little pressure is being applied," he said. "It looks like, to me, it wasn't as easy as the government thought it was going to be to make a decision on this."

Few South Plains communities on the list complained as loudly as the 100-plus residents of Whitharral and Pep who turned out to a September hearing in Whitharral's school cafeteria to voice their concerns to a Postal Service official.

"The school and the post office are really the only things here," Sharp said at the time. "I think they think they've lost enough already in this town."

For many of the listed communities, like Whitharral, Pep and Lazbuddie, the post office is one of the few institutions in town.

Lazbuddie ISD's interim superintendent, Joanna Martinez, said she was surprised to learn the Postal Service had not committed to closing Lazbuddie's post office.

"When the Postal Service representative visited in September for a public hearing, it almost felt like a formality, like it was a done deal and they were going to close our post office," she said. "To me, this delay is a very encouraging sign."

In its news release, the Postal Service stated its representatives would continue analyzing information and seeking input through public meetings through May.

"The Postal Service hopes this period will help facilitate the enactment of comprehensive postal legislation," according to the release. "Given the Postal Service's financial situation and the loss of mail volume, the Postal Service must continue to take all steps necessary to reduce costs and increase revenue."

Spokespersons for the Postal Service did not return Avalanche-Journal calls for further comment.

In a statement, U.S. Rep. Randy Neugebauer, R-Lubbock, said he understood the difficult financial situation postal officials have to make in addressing budget gaps in a time when first-class mail volumes have fallen by more than 50 percent.

"Just as American families are making difficult decisions to cope with these new economic realities, so must the federal government and the U.S. Postal Service," he said. "It is imperative that USPS find ways to consolidate, innovate and become more competitive."

Neugebauer said it was possible the Postal Service may be forced to close some facilities or change the structure of its retail operations as it streamlines its business model to become more profitable long term.

"However, I am committed to working with USPS to ensure that these necessary changes do not disproportionately impact the residents of the 19th Congressional District," he said. "The Postal Service must maintain reasonable mail access for rural customers."

In September, Postal Service spokesman Bobby Eubanks told the crowd in Whitharral the Postal Service selected its post office among thousands across the country due in part to a revenue shortfall.

He said the Postal Service shaved off, mostly through attrition, more than 200,000 jobs, from 788,000 in 2001 to about 560,000 this year.

Along with cuts to locations, the Postal Service is exploring the option of saving $3.1 billion by eliminating Saturday delivery, he said.

Martinez said she remains concerned closing Lazbuddie's post office would add considerable time, cost and trouble to her school district when it processes its mail.

Without a brick-and-mortar post office of its own, the 685 people in the Lazbuddie ISD area would have to drive 20 miles to Friona or Muleshoe for full service at the next closest post offices.

Along with its three churches and an automotive repair shop, the Lazbuddie post office on FM 1172 is an integral part of the community, Martinez said.

"We're really proud of the fact that we have our name on a postmark," she said. "It's more than a post office to us. It's a part of our community and part of our culture."

To comment on this story:

adam.young@lubbockonline.com • 766-8725

leesha.faulkner@lubbockonline.com • 766-8706

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